Fatima Davis
Strayer University
For Dr. Donna Reeves
HIS105 Section 019
November 2012
The Progressive Era through to the Great Depression proved to be a tough time for most Americans as they were anxious about the hasty economic and social changes that confronted the United States including the rise and fall of powerful corporations, the growth of cities and the mass arrivals of immigrants. Women had it particularly hard because of the constant discrimination they faced and controversy in association with their demands. However, as both periods advanced and came to a close, several legislations and reforms were made which resulted in a flourishing and hopeful America.
One of the major historical turning points during this period was the struggle for women’s suffrage; it began in the 1820s with the support of Fanny Wright who advocated for women being able to vote, the abolition of slavery, and more liberal divorce laws to name a few. However, it was not until 1848 at the Seneca Falls, NY Women’s Right Convention that Elizabeth Cady Stanton made the first demand for equal political rights for women. Her view was that it was a woman’s duty to secure to themselves the right to electoral privileges. (“Woman Suffrage Movement”, 2012)
The role of women and their political, economic, social and cultural opportunities have changed greatly. Because of suffrage, women are now allowed to take on jobs that they were once forced to resign from once they got married and decided to start a family. Whereas women were once afraid to work and take on demanding jobs in fear of disobeying certain rules, we have now empowered ourselves to take on a career positions and be the bread winners as well as still run the household. During the Progressive Era into the Great Depression, women were viewed as subordinates to males where they were subjected to laws and regulations imposed by men. A woman can now raise a family,
References: History of Woman Suffrage. (2012). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com.libdatab.strayer.edu/EBchecked/topic/267922/History-of-Woman-Suffrage The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html Shultz, M. Kevin. (2012). HIST: Volume 2, 2nd Edition. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.